“Nosferatu” is one of the earliest adaptations of “Dracula” and remains an iconic silent horror film. Interestingly, several changes were made from the source material as this was unauthorised take on Bram Stoker’s work. Although other “Dracula” films have since come and arguably improved on the formula with the 1931 Béla Lugosi version and the Francis Ford Coppola rendition of the 90s being among the highlights, “Nosferatu” remains a terrific film.

Transylvanian vampire Count Orlok (Max Schreck) leaves his castle and travels to Wisbourg, Germany to his new home. He brings death and destruction to German lands like a plague on mankind. What can stop this evil beast?

Many interpretations of Dracula have the vampire as a suave gentleman. That was certainly true of the Lugosi version and that really shaped future versions of the character. However, Schreck’s portrayal of the character has him as a freakish entity. Some of the most famous shots from this movie with Orlok are still somewhat unsettling. Schreck’s excellent performance even led to totally unfounded rumours that he himself was actually a vampire. This myth was later cemented in pop culture when Willem Dafoe played Schreck as a real vampire in “Shadow of the Vampire”. The other characters in this movie are all fine.

There is something about horror films from the silent era, they really seem like they are from another world. “Nosferatu”, “Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari” and even “Metropolis” (although that’s more sci-fi than anything else) are all perfect examples of the creativity of German silent cinema. If you’ve seen the Universal ones, the Hammer ones or any of the other countless “Dracula” films out there then you also need to ensure that you don’t miss out on “Nosferatu”. This remarkable came out in 1922, just a couple of years after “Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari”. I recommend watching both as a double feature.